LaPointe Aerospace
One of our favorite hobbies is Model Rocketry. We have over 50 rockets that are mainly Estes brand. We live on a pretty tight budget so we have not ventured into medium and high power rocketry (and probably never will). Our highest powered rocket is "D" powered. I was going to include introduction to model rocketry information on this web page, but decided to leave that content to some real pros that have done an outstanding job on some Model Rocketry Web Pages. One of my favorite web page that provides a introduction to Model Rocketry is????????. Although I love to teach Model Rocketry and show how they work, there is no need to duplicate information done by some real pros. This page is dedicated to the fleet of LaPointe Aerospace rockets.
My two sons have collected a good fleet of rockets. Our claim to fame is- almost 100 percent recovery. Because of a couple of severed shock cords, we have lost a couple of nose cones. (last seen floating into the next state and still attached to the parachute). We also lost a Styrofoam ball and stick model (Sputnik), I guess a "C" was too much for a front yard launch.
Following are pictures of my rocketeers and some of their fleet. Move over Sadaam!
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Michael (with Nova Payloader, his first and favorite rocket)
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Thomas (with Gemini DC, his first and favorite rocket)
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My scratch-built model and me. I love the old sci-fi look. (Plans from Ed Bet???? Web page).
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My Rocket babe wife.
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Cocoa and her favorite rocket.
Rocket Recovery Specialists
We specialize in rocket recovery also- if you live near Montgomery, Alabama we are available. We can recover rockets from trees as high as 50 feet. Our most difficult recovery was a G.I. Joe Gung-Ho 3 3/4" action figure that got stuck in a 100-year-old Sweet Gum tree. He was attached to a 24" parachute and launched from an Estes "Bail-Out" with a C6-3 engine. I made three big mistakes that day: 1- using a 24" parachute for the figure (12" would have been fine), 2- using a C6-3 engine, and 3- launching on a windy day. Anyway, after the rocket reached about 650 feet, the ejection charge blew and Gung-Ho floated over 600 yards and into a branch of the Sweet Gum tree. I thought it presented a nice challenge for me, so "MacGyver" went to work. We tried shooting the parachute with a slingshot and a BB-Gun. We hit the parachute several times, but the jagged limbs from the tree kept a firm grasp. Then the real MacGyver went to work. I had to fashion a tool to get him down. It consisted of a pool skimmer pole and several tent poles connected together. A wire hook was attached to the end. Gung-Ho was so high that I had to climb a 6-foot step ladder and hold the pole with my arm fully extended. I had the correct length to snag the parachute lines but had a very difficult time holding the pole straight up. My only hope was snagging the lines when the pole swayed from side to side. It took several unsuccessful attempts before the lines were snagged. I was completely exhausted after the recovery, but the smile and thank-you I received from my son made it worth the hours I spent.